Hey Arnold! - Passions Revealed
by SharonMckellie
Summary: While on a date with Arnold, Helga reveals most of her obsessive antics years ago. What will Arnold think of this information? This was done as a request for a guest that read my one-shot Hey Arnold story: Yahoo Soda Love.
1. Ch 1 SUNSET

**This was done as a fanfic request for a guest that read my one-shot Hey Arnold story: Yahoo Soda Love. If you would like to check it out you can!**

 **Note: This story takes place after TJM and Helga and Arnold are now officially dating.**

 **CHAPTER 1: SUNSET**

It was such a lovely and quiet day in Hillwood. The sky was a deep blue and the weather was perfect. It was neither too hot nor too cold for a Saturday afternoon. At the park, Arnold and Helga were taking in every moment. It was the second date they had been on since becoming an official couple. While walking through the park, Arnold noticed a hot dog vendor. He ordered two hot dogs; one for him and one for his date: Helga.

"Gee thanks Arnold," she said taking a bite.

"You're welcome," Arnold said with a smile. "I figured you were getting hungry."

As Arnold took a bit of his hot dog, he noticed that the sun would be setting any moment. Quickly, he grabbed Helga's hand and led her through the park.

"Come on Helga! This is gonna be great," he said with positivity.

"Arnold, you don't have to pull me ya know," Helga responded.

Still clutching onto Helga's hand, Arnold reached a park bench and stopped. After an awkward moment between the two, Arnold then took a seat. Helga, with her arms folded, took a seat next to him.

"If we just wait here, we'll get the perfect glimpse of the sunset."

Helga rolled her eyes, but inside she was dying. Watching the sunset with Arnold? It was like a dream come true. As she stared at her beloved, she noticed he was looking away from her.

"So…um…while we're waiting what do you wanna talk about?"

Arnold looked up at her. To be honest, he hadn't had a clue what she had just asked him. He was lost in his own world.

"What?"

Helga scoffed. Sometimes Arnold's constant daydreaming got on her nerves.

"What do you wanna talk about?" She repeated.

"Oh. Uh…I don't know, I guess...," Arnold was at a loss for words. What could they talk about?

Suddenly, Arnold smiled as he thought of the perfect way to break the ice. He just wasn't sure if Helga was going to like what he was about to say.

"Let's talk about you and me."

"W-W-What about us," Helga stammered.

Arnold smiled.

"You're always so secretive with your feelings Helga. I mean, it took you a while to admit that you l-l-loved me."

"Yeah, so?"

Arnold swallowed. Should he ask this question?

"Well, what other secrets are you keeping from me?"

Helga's eyes grew wide. She nervously rubbed the back of her neck. Then, she realized…what the heck was she so nervous about? She and Arnold were a couple now. She could tell him…right? As Helga's face grew bright red and a smile stretched across her face, she took a deep breath in. And a deep breath out.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt if I told you some of the things I did."

Arnold was confused. He just asked if she was keeping secrets from him. What things did she do?


	2. Ch 2 IS THAT ALL?

**CHAPTER 2: IS THAT ALL?**

"Okay, here it goes," Helga said knowing full and well that once she started to confess to things that she couldn't stop herself.

"I found your hat and wanted to keep it. I tried to stop you from dating Ruth at that Cheese Festival and I sabotaged your date with Lila at the same Cheese Festival. Um…the little pink book…yeah…the one you found…it…uh…it belongs to me so that I could fill it with poems about you. I forfeited the Spelling Bee so that you would win. Uh…I used Stinky to be my pretend boyfriend to make you jealous. Also, after I accidentally recorded a love confession on your answering machine, I snuck into the boarding house to steal the tape. I wrote Arnold Loves Lila on the wall…when really…I…uh…first wrote Arnold Loves Helga.

Arnold tried to hold onto every word of this long list of "Helga's deeds." However, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Let's see…what else? Oh! I did everything I could to be able to play Juliet in the school play so that I could…uh…um…k-k-kiss you. Um…oh yeah that stupid parrot that kept spouting poetry actually belonged to my dad, but once it heard me talking…uh…reciting poetry about you…it um…keep repeating it. That time you found me and Phoebe on your fire escape, r-r-really happened because I kept sleepwalking to your house. Um…at Rhonda's party, I dressed up like Lila to get you to like me. The l-l-locket your grandpa found was really mine, so I had to sneak into the boarding house AGAIN to get it back. You know…the l-l-locket that saved your parents? And I-I-I…um I found Mr Hyunh's daughter for you by turning in my Nancy Spumoni snow boots."

Helga began panting. After rambling on and on about the things she did, she had just now noticed that she had Arnold by the shirt collar.

"Is that all?" Arnold asked a little shook up.

Helga then slapped a hand to her forehead.

"No," she said her forehead still covered.

"Well…what else is there?"

"Look Arnold! The sun's going down!" Helga pointed grateful for the perfect timing.

Arnold turned and looked at the sunset. It was just as beautiful as it always was. However, this time it was even more beautiful because of the person he got to share this beautiful moment with. Lost in his head, Arnold then realized that Helga hadn't answered the question. He looked to the right and noticed that Helga had already taken off. What had just happened? A better question? What had happened all those years ago? What had Helga left out? Arnold didn't know what to do. Everything Helga had just said made sense. There were a lot of moments in his life that didn't make sense until now.

He couldn't believe it! Helga was his Christmas Angel. She gave up her snow boots to find Mai. She let him win the Spelling Bee. She was the owner of the pink book he found. Even though it all made sense now that he knew the depth of her feelings, he just wasn't sure what to do. That was a lot of information Helga had just told him. He felt dizzy, the same way he felt on top of the FTi building. The same way he felt when they were in San Lorenzo together.

As Arnold made his way out of the park, he couldn't find Helga anywhere. But he wasn't sure if he wanted to.


	3. Ch 3 DIZZYING EMOTIONS

**CHAPTER 3: DIZZYING EMOTIONS**

 **Author's Note: To my reviewers, Yali Page and The J.A.M. a.k.a. Numbuh i, you are both right on the money. At least, now you both are. I had the idea for the thing that Helga forgot to mention was the Cecile incident. However, I forgot about the time she saw Arnold naked. LOL Which will now be included! :D**

There it is. The Sunset Arms Boarding House. Arnold was so glad to have reached his humble abode. Even though the sun had gone down, the lights in the house were still lit. Arnold could see his bedroom light on and couldn't wait to reach his room of sanctuary. He stepped up onto to the stoop and opened the door. Dogs, cats, and his pet pig Abner spilled out onto the sidewalk. Ignoring them, Arnold walked inside and began his ascent upstairs. With each step, Helga's words kept pouring into his mind. _What else did she leave out? What more could there be?_ Arnold thought about the girl that both amazed and confused him.

It seemed there was a lot of things that he didn't know about Helga G. Pataki. He had to talk to someone about this. But who could he call? The answer to that question was easy. Gerald. But Arnold wasn't sure if he wanted to call him. Talking about Helga and all her crazy antics might not be something he wanted Gerald to hear, but he had to talk to somebody about this. And even though his mom and dad had returned home from San Lorenzo, he didn't really want to talk about his relationship with Helga. I mean…talk to his parents about Helga G. Pataki? That sentence sounded crazy in itself.

Arnold entered his bedroom and sat down on his cool remote controlled couch. Nervously, he began dialing his phone. The phone began ringing and humming almost in tune to how fast Arnold's heart was beating.

"Hello?" Gerald's voice rang out into Arnold's ear.

"G-G-Gerald."

"Arnold? Is that you?"

Arnold swallowed.

"It's me. Listen, do you think you could come over?"

Gerald was both confused and worried. Arnold had not usually requested that Gerald come over; especially with the crazy boarders. But being a loyal friend, Gerald asked no questions and only responded with:

"Okay, I'm on my way."

Nervously, Arnold exhaled. His heart was beating 90 miles a minute. Was he afraid of this new information Helga had told him? Was he confused? Was he sad? At this point, Arnold didn't really know what he was feeling. What he did know was that his relationship with Helga had gotten a lot more difficult. Pacing around the room had taken its toll on him. He grew dizzy and knew he had to calm down. So, Arnold threw himself onto his bed and looked up at the night sky. It was filled with so many glistening stars that he was sure he could fly up into space and touch every single one of them. He then heard a voice wake him from his daydreams.

"Arnold?"

Arnold raised up from his bed rather quickly thinking it was Gerald…it wasn't. It was…

Miles and Stella. Arnold's face blushed bright red. He was too embarrassed to tell his parents about his relationship troubles. Plus, how would they feel if they knew what their son's girlfriend had done.

"Are you okay," Stella said walking over to him.

"I'm fine Mom. I just-I just had a long day today. That's all," Arnold said still blushing.

Miles took note of the shade of his son's face.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Helga would it," Miles said half smirking.

"No…No! She…uh…She's-"

Just before Arnold could think of an excuse, there was a knock at his bedroom door.

"Will you excuse me," Arnold said running to the door.

He grabbed the door knob and opened it. There stood Gerald in his number 33 hoodie with one hand on his hip.

"Hey Arnold I-"

That was all Gerald got out because Arnold grabbed onto his arm and pulled him into his bedroom quickly.


	4. Ch 4 SECRETS UNEARTHED

**CHAPTER 4: SECRETS UNEARTHED**

 **Author's Note: To starfiction123, I'm so happy that you like this story since you requested it. I hope to also do your Arnie story request in the future. I hope that I can continue to make this story pleasing to you and to my other fans.**

"Whatever's going on with you man, it sure has gotten you jumpy," Gerald said rubbing his arm.

"Sorry Gerald, it's just that-"

Arnold paused and looked across the room. His parents were staring confusedly at the both of them. Before saying another word, he walked over to Miles and Stella.

"Uh…mom and dad?"

Arnold was still getting used to saying their maternal and paternal names. He could swear that every time he used the terms _mom_ and _dad,_ Miles and Stella's faces lit up even brighter.

"Gerald and I have to talk about some things," Arnold said. He couldn't lie to them.

Stella looked at her husband with worry. Miles looked back at her but with a more relaxed look.

"All right Arnold. We'll be downstairs if you need us," his father stated.

Before exiting the bedroom, Stella gave Arnold a quick kiss on the cheek. Then she and Miles exited and closed the door behind them. The minute the bedroom door closed, Arnold grabbed Gerald by the shirt collar.

"What am I going to do Gerald?"

"Well, number one you need to let go of my shirt, and two: explain what's going on with you."

Realizing he hadn't told his best friend what had happened before sundown, Arnold released his grip. He then walked over to his bed and face planted into his pillow. It was so soft and comfortable, Arnold wished he could fall right to sleep. But with the knowledge his girlfriend had just told him; he was sure he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Gerald sat down on the bed next to him.

"Look man, it can't be that bad," Gerald said putting a hand on Arnold's foot.

After letting the redness of his blushed cheeks die down, Arnold rolled over and looked up at his best friend. He felt torn. Torn between Gerald and Helga. Should he keep all that Helga had told him to himself? After all, they were in a relationship, and shouldn't relationships stay between the couple? _I have to tell someone about this_. Arnold thought. _I can't keep things bottled up inside; not like Helga_.

Gerald was still waiting for his friend to speak. He knew Arnold wasn't the type of person to openly discuss emotional matters. Gerald knew that when Arnold was ready to tell him, he would tell him.

Arnold let out a huge sigh.

"Look, Helga and I were at the park and I asked her if she was keeping other secrets from me."

Gerald went wide-eyed.

"Are you crazy man? Why would you ask that question?!"

"You know, since it took her so long to tell me she liked me. I just want us to have an open and honest relationship," Arnold replied defending himself.

"Yeah, well…some secrets should stay buried."

Arnold grinned.

"You mean like the one about you not being able to ride a bike?"

Gerald rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Well, what did she say?"

Oh great. The one question Arnold didn't want to answer.

"Well…um…she…"

What would Gerald think if he heard all the stuff Helga had done? _Well, it's now or never_. Arnold thought. He took a deep breath and started from the beginning. He explained the beginning of their date and watching the sunset. Then, he got to the part where Helga had told him the crazy things that she had done involving her love over the years. With each and every detail, Arnold paced around his bedroom like a maniac. He stood on his bed, on his couch, and his desk chair almost as if he was reenacting every scene of Helga's escapades. Gerald watched in awe as Arnold told him every single detail of what he had heard before the sun had set.


	5. Ch 5 I HAVE HER SHOE

**CHAPTER 5: I HAVE HER SHOE**

After all was said and done, Arnold sat down on his couch. Out of breath from anxiously explaining to Gerald, Arnold put a hand on his chest.

"What happened next," Gerald said desperately wanting to know more.

"I…I asked her if there was anything else. She said there was one more thing."

Gerald impatiently waited for Arnold to give an answer.

"One more thing? Besides her being involved in the biggest Vietnamese family reunion ever?! Well, what was it?"

"I don't know. She…She took off. With no explanation."

Gerald's face shifted from shock and surprise to disappointment.

"Man! What else could there be?"

"I don't know, but it's driving me crazy," Arnold said pulling at his hair.

"It must be something pretty big if she didn't want you to know about it."

Arnold nodded. Helga had told him all sorts of things, but she refused to tell him one thing. What could it be? She had revealed to him so many secrets and truths that whatever she had left out must've been something huge. So huge that she is either embarrassed by it or wants to keep it a secret for some reason. Because of all the instances Helga had told him, Arnold began to think back. _What could Helga have done in certain points of my life?_ Arnold thought. _There are so many things in my life that Helga has influenced and I didn't even know it. Think Arnold, think!_

"She wrote that pink book we found," Gerald snickered a little.

"It's not funny Gerald. What else is she keeping from me?"

Arnold rubbed his head. He wasn't lying when he told his parents that today had been a long day. Once more, his bedroom began to spin. Gerald took notice of Arnold's state and began to grow worried.

"Look, it's getting late. Maybe you should go to bed before you overwork yourself."

"Gerald, I can't. I have to figure this out," Arnold replied with a hint of fatigue in his voice.

"C'est la guerre," Gerald said shrugging his shoulders.

Still racking his brain, Arnold noticed the spinning room came to a stop after Gerald had just spoke.

"Gerald! Say that again!"

"What?"

"Whatever you said in French!"

"You mean c'est la guerre? It just means _that's war, it can't be helped_."

Arnold eyes grew wide. French. France. Chez. Che. Paris. Cecile. CECILE!

"CECILE!" Arnold yelled with an air of an _ah-ha!_ moment.

"What are you talking about," Gerald said more confused now than ever.

"That night that I had dinner with my French pen pal Cecile! Only it wasn't Cecile, it was-"

Arnold stopped talking. The memories of that night came flooding back to him. He was heartbroken over learning the truth about Ruth P. McDougal who was nothing more than just a pretty face. However, coming back to the other restaurant to sit down and talk to "Cecile" was a big comfort to him.

 _"_ _Maybe she isn't the girl for you. Maybe the girl for you is someone special. You know the most beautiful of gifts can come in the plainest box."_

 _"_ _You know…I think you're right."_

 _"_ _Arnold there's something I need to say. Arnold, I really like you and I have to know do you like me to?"_

 _Arnold looked across the table at her as she batted her eyes at him. He looked down and saw her hand placed in front of him. For some reason or another, he wanted to grab it. This Cecile was different. She was soft-spoken and was willing to listen to Arnold and his problems. She was soft and delicate. She was-_

Snapping back to reality, Arnold quickly ran over to his closet. He opened the door and began rifling through it. Gerald took notice of this sudden and strange behavior.

"What are you doing man?"

After searching, rummaging, and hunting, Arnold found what he was looking for. With one quick motion, he held up the item to Gerald. It was a plain red high-heeled shoe.

"I have her shoe," Arnold said.


	6. Ch 6 THERE'S MORE TO IT

**CHAPTER 6: THERE'S MORE TO IT**

 **Author's Note: I was on a roll so I thought I would post Chapter 5 and Chapter 6! Enjoy! :)**

The red high-heeled shoe looked like an average piece of women's footwear to Gerald, but not to Arnold. He was looking at it as if it was a piece of ancient history.

"What do you mean you have her shoe?"

Arnold didn't hear Gerald. Maybe this was what Helga was keeping from him. How did he not see it? They both had the same blonde hair, the same pink bow, and the same appearance. However, the Helga that he went on a date with was much different than the one that he knew so well in her endless tortures at school. Helga must've wrote a fake Cecile letter just to go on a date with him. Given the state of Helga's wacky list of deeds, Arnold could fill in the blanks to how she went about pretending to be Cecile.

"Arnold? Are you listening to me?"

"Don't you see Gerald? Helga was Cecile at the restaurant!"

It took a minute before Gerald registered what his best friend had just told him. Then his mouth hung open with astonishment.

"Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Helga G. Pataki went on a date with you!"

Gerald raised his eyebrows at Arnold.

"Man, she's one dedicated lady," Gerald said adding a purr at the end of the sentence.

Arnold, who was still holding the shoe, blushed.

"But why would she want to keep the whole Cecile thing a secret," Gerald asked.

Looking at the shoe, Arnold wasn't so sure that was all that Helga was keeping from him. Sure, she told him quite a bit for one afternoon, but he still felt like she wasn't being completely honest with him. Helga's a complicated book, and Arnold had just started reading the first chapter.

"There's more to it," Arnold said squinting at the shoe.

Gerald gave a long yawn.

"Well, I wish I had some advice for ya man, but it's getting late. Let's talk tomorrow," Gerald said heading for the bedroom door.

"Okay. See ya Gerald."

As the bedroom door closed, Arnold glared up at the sky. The night sky was still glaring down on him; much like a spotlight in a play. He still remembered that night he came home holding the shoe and looking up the same sky. Without saying another word, Arnold put the shoe back in the closet. It was interesting to him for why he held onto it for these many years. That must have meant it was important to him. A yawn from his mouth interrupted his thinking. Gerald was right. It was getting late. Tiredly, Arnold undressed himself and put on his blue PJs. He then got into bed and tucked himself in. The sheets were nice and cozy, and he was sure he would fall asleep in an instant...

 _The next thing Arnold knew he was in…Paris France? The Eiffel Tower stood out beautifully from the starry night. What was strange about being in this country? There weren't any people. Arnold looked around…he was alone. Another strange thing was that he was wearing a tuxedo. The same one he wore that fateful Valentine's Day. It was like he was all dressed up with nowhere to go._

 _"Arnold," a soft voice spoke out._

 _"Who's there," Arnold asked the strange voice from nowhere._

 _He looked straight ahead and saw the outline of a figure standing underneath the Eiffel Tower. The only thing he could make out was that the figure had a bow on top of its head. The closer Arnold got the more the outline of the figure came into focus. It was…_

 _Helga._

 _"Helga?" Arnold said. She was wearing the outfit she wore as well on that day._

 _"Arnold, listen to me…I'm sorry."_

 _"You're sorry? For what?"_

 _"I feel bad that I kept all these secrets from you. I mean…I guess it's just who I am. To hide my feelings."_

 _Arnold grabbed her by the shoulders._

 _"Helga, listen to me. I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked so much of you. I shouldn't have-"_

 _"Au revoir Arnold," Helga said pushing him away._

 _Arnold then watched in horror as the girl he had grown to care so much about suddenly disappeared._

 _"No, wait!"_

HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!


	7. Ch 7 FADOODLING

**CHAPTER 7: FADOODLING**

Arnold awoke from his slumber, and noticed that it was morning already. The dream that lasted only a few minutes actually lasted all night. With a flick of the wire, he turned off his potato alarm clock. Arnold knew his subconscious was trying to tell him something, either that or he was feeling guilty about asking Helga to reveal some of her secrets. After all, Helga was the most secretive person Arnold had ever come in contact with. Why did he ask? To know the answers? To find out more about her?

"I got an idea," Arnold said aloud to himself.

Quickly, he put on his usual everyday attire and exited his bedroom. As he ran down the stairs, he noticed that Miles was standing at the end of the hallway.

"Whoa, what's your hurry son?"

"Um…I was thinking about going to talk to Helga. I…I kinda messed things up," Arnold said rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, girl trouble huh?"

"You have no idea," Arnold said with a smirk.

He hugged Miles tightly because…he never got tired of hugs from his own father. While he was continuing down the steps, Stella was waiting on him at the bottom of the stairs. She had her arms crossed, so Arnold assumed that he was in some sort of trouble. However, to his surprise she also embraced Arnold with a hug.

"Good morning Arnold."

"Good morning."

Stella kissed his cheek and left a red smudge across it.

"Mom," Arnold said embarrassed.

Stella apologized. She had forgotten that Arnold was getting to that age. The age of those adolescent teenage years. The slightest things can make any preteen embarrassed. Arnold rubbed the makeup off his cheek and headed for the front door. Couldn't he leave his own house in one piece? Phil then stopped him. Apparently not.

"Look Arnold, I know you're wanting to go talk to your little girlfriend, but I think it's time you and I had a little talk."

"Talk? Talk about what?" Arnold said eyeing the front door.

"Shortman, you know what I'm talking about…the birds and the bees? Fadoodling?"

The preteens eyes grew wide and his face went beet red. Before his grandpa could get another word out, he interrupted him.

"Grandpa, I gotta go!"

Arnold exited the boarding house along with the same familiar cats, dogs, and Abner. He had finally reached the outside world. Helga's house was a few blocks away. He was anxious to get there, but he was also extremely nervous. Talking to Helga always made him nervous due to her emotions, but he had to talk to her. He wanted to apologize for asking her to divulge some of her secrets. However, he also wanted to tell her that he needed time to process them. Having your girlfriend basically tell you that she was involved in many different aspects of your life was a lot to take in for young Arnold. It took him a while to take in her confession of love to him, now there was more to it. There were more examples of her love and devotion to him. _I can't believe all of those things she said to me. It's almost been a full 24 hours, and I still don't believe it!_ Arnold thought as he walked down the sidewalk.

With his hands in his pockets, Arnold continued his stroll to Helga's. The closer he got to her house, the more he felt his stomach do backflips. Butterflies were caught in his stomach and they wouldn't stop fluttering. What could he say to her? How should he speak to her? Arnold, the master of advice, the warrior of words, was actually having trouble coming up with what to tell Helga. Looking up he saw it. The house of the one and only Helga G. Pataki.

With a gulp, Arnold went up to the door and knocked on it. To his surprise, no one came to the door.

"Hmm, that's odd. Maybe Miriam's asleep," Arnold said remembering how tired Helga's mom could get.

Before he knocked again, he heard something. A voice. A recognizable voice only this time it was filled with an air of sweetness. Arnold couldn't figure out where the voice was coming from or make out what it was saying. He went around the back of Helga's house to trace the noise. As he looked up he noticed that Helga's bedroom window was open.

"Helga?" Arnold thought. "She sounds so…different?"

He put a hand to his ear to try and figure out what she was saying, but she was too far away. He looked to the side and noticed a small tree against the house. If he climbed it maybe he could hear her. _Spy on her? Now, I'm acting just like her_. Arnold thought as he approached the tree.


	8. Ch 8 SHE'S CRAZY

**CHAPTER 8: SHE'S CRAZY**

 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your reviews! Also, I'm not the best at writing Helga's monologues.**

 **Another note: I'm thinking about only having 10 chapters to this story, but who knows? It depends how I want to develop the plot.**

Climbing up a tree is no small feat. Arnold climbed and climbed until he saw a safe branch to grab onto. He reached out with his right hand and grabbed onto a branch. With all his might, he pulled himself up. Positioning himself so that he could sit on the tree branch, Arnold looked intently through the window. To his shock, he saw Helga writing in what he assumed to be another book of poems.

"Oh Arnold, what will you do now that I have told you the truth? The truth about me. Alas, me and my actions."

Arnold watched as Helga twirled around her bedroom.

"You are the center of my miserable little life. What will happen if you are taken away from me? I know I can be very passionate, but how else can I be when you are the only thing that matters in my life?"

Helga paused and looked around her room. Arnold began to wonder if he was about to get caught. With one last suspicious look she disappeared into her closet. _Her closet?_ Arnold thought. _Why'd she go in there for?_ Looking down below, Arnold began to think about climbing down. However, he heard Helga's bedroom door open.

"Helga, aren't you going to eat any dinner?" Miriam asked.

The closet door opened and Helga re-emerged.

"Miriam, you didn't make any dinner…and besides that its 9:00 in the morning!"

"Oh that's right. Well…little lady, how's about you and I whip up a breakfast for B? Whadda ya say?"

Helga sighed and narrowed her eyes. Whipping up a breakfast for Bob would only cause a kitchen disaster, and besides that…he had already gone to work.

"Sure Miriam," Helga said following her mom out the door.

Arnold began to lose his grip on the tree. As he sat on the branch, it felt like it was going to give way. There was only one thing to do. Arnold quickly moved along across the branch and grabbed onto Helga's window ledge. Rapidly right when the branch snapped, he climbed right into Helga's bedroom. He was relieved to escape, but his relief didn't last long once he realized he was in his girlfriend's bedroom.

"Hold on Miriam I gotta grab something from my room!" Arnold heard Helga yell.

 _HELGA! What I am going to do? She'll kill me if she finds me in here!_ Arnold thought.

Panicking, he hid in the only place he could think of: the closet. Helga entered the bedroom and grabbed the book she was writing in off her bed. Then she held it close to her heart as she exited her private quarters. If she had only knew that hiding behind her closet door was none other than Arnold. A light clicking sound occurred as Arnold turned on the closet light. Nothing seemed unusual. It looked like a regular closet: just a rack of clothes and shoes. But Arnold could see another light coming from behind Helga's outfits. He separated the clothes and lo and behold: a statue gleamed forth. The closer Arnold got to the statue the more he realized exactly who the statue was. It was him! Helga had actually constructed a shrine out of household objects to look like his head. He put a hand to his forehead as the dizzy sensation started taking hold of him all over again. The statue was similar to the one that he had seen in San Lorenzo. The Green-Eyes worshipped him in a similar way, and from the looks of it…Helga worshipped him to.

"This can't be happening," Arnold said aloud. "She's…she's…crazy!"

Now more than ever, Arnold wanted to escape the tight space and un-see what he had just witnessed. Quickly, he pushed past the coats, shoes, other items, and grabbed the closet doorknob. Pushing it open, he fell to the floor with a loud thud. Red sneakers were across the floor from him. Not only that but the sneakers had legs, the legs had a body, and the body had a face. There in the bedroom was…Helga G. Pataki.

"ARNOLD!" She said her face growing red. "What are you doing in my closet?!"

Arnold rubbed his head as he stood up. His face was also growing red.

"Helga, we need to talk."

"Well, I should say so football head!"


	9. Ch 9 HAPPINESS

**CHAPTER 9: HAPPINESS**

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! Also, I apologize if this chapter seems all over the place. My mind was working overtime. :)**

Helga's face was extremely red. However, Arnold couldn't tell if it was red because of anger or embarrassment. It was probably a little bit of both. Here he was standing in Helga's bedroom. With nothing to do explain what he was doing there in the first place, but Helga had some explaining to do as well.

"Helga…I…" That all that Arnold got out. For after that, he fainted.

"Arnold!" He could hear Helga scream his name until everything went black.

The next thing Arnold knew, he woke up lying on Helga's bed. She sat in a chair next to him with a wash cloth in her hands. Arnold put a hand to his forehead and felt a small bandage across it. He must have bumped his head when he fell out of the closet. Helga put a cloth to his head, and lightly damped it.

"Helga?"

"Arnold! You're awake!"

Helga quickly removed the cloth from his head and hid it behind her back fearing he would see her actually tending to him. _Why is she still hiding how much she cares?_ Arnold thought.

"You…uh…bumped your head," she said giving a guilty smile.

Arnold tried to sit up, but Helga only pushed him back down stating that he just rest for a moment. But Arnold persisted. He had to talk to her; he just had to.

"Helga, I'm sorry. I came by to talk to you and I heard you from outside, so I climbed up your tree outside and listened in to-"

"Criminy. You're starting to sound just like me."

"Anyway, I heard you coming back upstairs and I hid in your closet and-"

Arnold stopped talking. Should he tell her what he saw? He had to. There shouldn't be any more secrets between them.

"And I saw your shrine…of me."

Helga's face lost all color. As she stood up, Arnold could sense her nervousness and anxiety. After all, he had just revealed that he discovered one of her deepest darkest secrets. Knowing that she liked to keep all her emotions bottled up inside, Arnold wasn't sure how she was going to react. For a few minutes they just sat there in awkward silence until finally Helga was the first to speak.

"You must think I'm sick Arnold. I mean…what girl keeps a shrine of her boyfriend in her closet. What girl sneaks into her boyfriend's house? What girl keeps a locket of him? WHAT GIRL LIKE THAT DESERVES TO BE HAPPY?"

She walked over to the window and looked out into the sky. How she wished she could just fly away. Fly away from the city, her problems, and…Arnold. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away.

"You do."

Helga turned around and saw that Arnold was now standing.

"What?"

He was standing closer to her now.

"You Helga. You deserve to be happy."

Inching closer and closer to her, Arnold took her hand in his.

"Out of all the people I've ever met. Out of all the people in the world…you deserve to be happy."

With one flirtatious move, Arnold pressed his lips to Helga's. The kiss sent them both into an adrenaline rush. It was like fireworks were exploding right there in Helga's bedroom. Up close and personal with every BANG, POW, AND BOOM! Arnold felt another dizzying sensation begin to occur, and with that he ended the kiss short. Helga let out a brief sigh of attraction.

"I'm sorry Helga. I'm sorry I asked you about your secrets. It's none of my business but…I know the secret you left out that day in the park."

"You do?" Helga replied to reeling from that kiss.

"Yeah. You were Cecile…uh…my date that night at Chez Paris."

Thinking Helga was going to look astonished, Arnold waited for a reply. However, she didn't look astonished at all which Arnold found strange. He was sure that was the secret she had left out. Unless…it wasn't. _It's killing me! What did she forget to tell me?_ Arnold thought waiting in anticipation. Helga's face shifted from a frown to a smile, then she began to laugh. Laugh? Laugh at Arnold for believing this was the secret she left out!?

"Helga! What did you forget to tell me?" Arnold stated growing impatient.

Helga wiped away tears, but this time they were tears of joy. She just couldn't believe that Arnold had finally figured out that she was Cecile. It took him long enough. I mean they looked exactly alike. She thought he would catch on, but it sure did take a while.

"Apparently I forgot to tell a lot more stuff football head! The Cecile incident, the shrine, the time I saw you undress-"

"You what?"

"Hahaha! But that's not important right now," Helga said sighing from laughter.

"Then what? What's missing? Why did you run away from me that day?"

Helga looked at her beloved. He desperately wanted to know the supposed secret. Growing angry at the sound of Helga's laughter, Arnold began to walk toward her bedroom door.

"It's okay, I understand. You want it to remain a secret, I get it."

"Arnold wait!"

Arnold stopped as Helga ran over to him. She was looking down at her feet nervously.

"I...I...I'll tell you."


	10. Ch 10 THE REVEAL

**CHAPTER 10: THE REVEAL**

 **Author's Note: Shout out to Starfiction123 for being the whole inspiration for this story (requested it)! I've had a blast writing it and seeing all the reviews of enjoyment! Hey Arnold has the best fans in the world! We are all supportive of one another!**

 **Also, Chapter 11 will be the last chapter since I feel like I am wrapping it up. It's gonna be hard to say goodbye! I love this story so much!**

Helga handed Arnold the wash cloth. He held it to his forehead and waited in anticipation for this so-called big secret that Helga wanted to reveal. It must be a hard one for her to reveal considering how she was pacing up and down the room. Arnold felt a little guilty that he desperately wanted to know her secret. Was it really any of his business? I mean, he had just broken into her room and discovered a household shrine. Did he deserve to know? Helga answered his thoughts as if she knew what he was thinking.

"You deserve to know."

Arnold smiled at her and nodded ready for whatever information she was about to tell him.

"I mean, my life has always been about you. All of it. All the many things I've done for you, with you, and even against you. My entire realm of being is you Arnold."

Arnold's face went red as Helga talked about her passion for him.

"That day in the park…I just wanted to tell you everything. Lay in all on the line. Tell you all my crazy and wacky antics over the years. I-I…think you deserve to know. Heck, I would want to know if someone broke into my house to steal an answering machine tape. So, I told you everything in the hope that you would understand my situation."

"Helga, I do understand," Arnold said a little hurt by her words.

"No you don't Arnold. You don't understand," Helga said with a sigh. "And you never will unless I tell you. Tell you what I couldn't that day in the park."

Gulp. Arnold swallowed. What could this big secret be? What did she leave out? Why was she so embarrassed by it? And why couldn't she bring herself to say it.

"What I'm about to tell you…is one of the biggest secrets of my life. You know I love you Arnold. You know that…but you don't know why."

That was true. He never really thought about why she loved him. He just knew that she did. Reasons for liking a person could range anywhere from appearance to personality, and Arnold didn't think he was attractive in either of those two categories. Having a woman like you is one thing. Their reasons for it were a whole other debate entirely.

"So, why do I like you? You don't remember do you? I can see why you wouldn't. We were only four years old."

Arnold raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was she talking about?

"It was my first day of preschool, and as usual my parents were so focused on OOOOlgaaa that they didn't even drive me to school. So, I walked to school all by myself that day. In the rain. It was cold…muddy…heck a dog even stole my lunch box. Not like it mattered though. Miriam wasn't the best lunch maker."

Listening to Helga's story, Arnold began to feel sorry for her. However, he still didn't have a clue what it had to do with him.

"So…I got to school and…met someone," she said nervously. "A small short odd-headed young boy approached me before I went inside. H…H…He held an umbrella over my head."

 _"_ _Hi. Nice bow."_

 _"_ _Huh?"_

 _"_ _I like your bow because it's pink like your pants."_

Helga smiled across the room her beloved. At times she could still see the same small young boy in the now older Arnold.

"It was you Arnold. You were the first one to show me any sort of attention. Any sort of kindness. You gave me your crackers at snack time. You showed me that there was at least one person in this world who cares about me...You."

After listening to the story/secret Helga had just told, Arnold felt horrible. All this time, the thing she left out was her reasons for liking him, and he thought it was some big secret. Plus, he could barely remember their encounter which explains why Helga was so fearful of telling him. With this new knowledge in mind, Arnold could now begin to understand why Helga felt so strongly about him: why she built shrines to him, why she had a locket, why she did all those things. Looking at his girlfriend from across the room was now a new experience for him. Helga G. Pataki, the girl who LOVED him, looked different. She looked different because he now understood where she was coming from.

"The kids in our class made fun of me when they saw me swooning over you and thus Ol' Betsy and the Five Avengers was born! So you see Arnold, I had to hide my feelings for you."

The room went quiet. Arnold just stood there staring at Helga as there was a pause of awkward silence. Waiting for him to speak, Helga crossed her arms in anticipation. She was glad that she finally told him her reasons for liking him, but as usual she was fearful of what he might say. Unrequited love all over again. The stillness of the room only created more tension for the two youngsters. Helga's heart was pounding as she watched Arnold stare at the bedroom floor. He then walked over to her.

"I gave you crackers," he said with a sudden smile.

"What?" Helga asked.

"That day at school I gave you my graham crackers because those kids were teasing you."

Helga's heart fluttered.

"You remember?"

"A little. I mean…we were both so young," Arnold said rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah…young…"

"Thanks for sharing that with me Helga," Arnold said taking her hands in his. "Now I understand why you built that shrine of me…why you snuck into the boarding house…why you….love me."

Helga sighed. _Oh Arnold! If only you knew the depths of my soul._ Helga thought, lost in her own world. The awkwardness of the space had been removed and all that was left was peace and love.

 **Chapter 11 will be posted soon as a sort of epilogue chapter! :)**


	11. Ch 11 EPILOGUE

**CHAPTER 11: EPILOGUE**

 **Author's Note: Here's the epilogue guys! I want to apologize for taking so long to write this epilogue. I had some things going on and lost inspiration to write this chapter. (Lots and lots of brain farts and writer's block) Thanks to all of you who left reviews, requests, comments, and just for being awesome Hey Arnold! fans! :)**

Arnold took hold of Helga's hand in his as they both exited the house. Arnold took in a deep breath of fresh air. Somehow the world seem different, the sun shone brighter, and Helga's hand seemed even more delicate.

"What is it?" Helga asked him noticing him looking at her hand.

"It's just…this FEELS different," Arnold replied holding up their interlocked hands.

"Different? Different how?"

"I mean…it feels right."

Helga gave her signature lovesick sigh, and this time she didn't let go of his hand like she normally did. Arnold blushed as the two began walking down the sidewalk. Even though his hand was began to sweat he still didn't want to let go. Helga G. Pataki was little a puzzle. A puzzle that he had begun putting the pieces together. He was right all along. Deep down she was a nice, sensitive, caring person. A person who only wanted love and acceptance. A person who wore a tough smile instead of a loving one. A person who…loved him. Even though he was only 10 years old, Arnold knew that as he grew older maybe he would better understand the true definition of love. For now though, the word _love_ meant an unconditional bond and affection for another person. And that's a pretty astute definition for a fourth-grader.

 _Helga can probably explain "love" better than I can._ Arnold thought. _She has felt nothing but love for me ever since that rainy day at preschool. One day, I just hope I can love her the way that she has shown her love for me. I mean saving my parents? That's comes from a pure heart._

"Arnold?" Helga asked waking him from his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

Helga let go of his hand. What was wrong? Did he do something wrong? The next thing Arnold knew was that he felt Helga's hand hit his forehead.

"Last one to Slausen's pays the bill football head," Helga said sprinting down the street.

"You're on Helga!"

Arnold followed suit and began running to try and catch up to her. She pulls a prank just when he finally was beginning to understand her. Well…maybe not all of her…if he knew everything about her what fun would that be?

END


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